The value of technology certifications

The subject of technology certifications comes up quite frequently in many of the discussion boards that I've visited that are either job- or technology-related.  The responses are almost always varied, some arguing that certifications should be avoided because they won't get you a job or because they don't test useful knowledge, while others arguing certifications are desirable for the knowledge gained and increased opportunities made available.  There is a bit of truth in each argument.

Unfortunately, most people asking about certifications on these discussion boards are asking because they are looking for the certification(s) that are virtually guaranteed to get them a job.  These don't exist.  The certifications that I have encountered test for specialized knowledge in a particular area but don't test for skills that are needed to do a job.  I think the test writers believe that anyone with specialized knowledge is bound to have the more general day-to-day knowledge, but the result is that the job market is flooded with certified "professionals" with little more than book knowledge.  Because of this, most certifications are looked upon with suspicion by a significant number of people in the industry.

On the other hand, getting a certification can get your foot in the door into a company, especially if the company has an incentive to hire certified employees.  A certification can show that an employee was motivated to learn the details about a particular technology, which can only be a good thing in an ever-changing field.  An employee should take advantage of the closer look provided by the certification and expect to prove that the certification provided more value than memorizing a bunch of facts.

For the same reasons, employers should look upon employees with related certifications more favorably than those without, but it cannot be the sole, or even primary, determining factor in choosing the right person.  An employee with a small amount of knowledge who can apply that knowledge in solving a wide variety of problems is more valuable than one with a large amount of knowledge but who can't utilize it in a meaningful way.  Certifications usually merely only test for the amount of knowledge, not the ability to apply it.

So in the end, certifications hold some value for the industry, but they seem to have fallen short of their goals.  In a future post, I will suggest a way to design a certification exam that would be more useful to both the certified and the talent evaluators.

Should programmers be middle managers?

Recently, I wrote about whether programmers should get an MBA here, and said that an MBA would be helpful for the programmers who wanted to get into management.  Related to that, I came across an article on CIO.com about the inherent skills needed for programmers, middle management, and executives.  I don't have any particular insight into the article, or what it means for I.T., other than it's an article worth reading.  I think I might put the book on which the article is based on my reading list.

Should programmers get an MBA?

One question that I see among a few computer programmers these days is whether or not they should go back to school to get their MBA.  The answer really depends on what he or she wants to do in their career in the next five years.

Before I get any further into this, let me first describe what an MBA can (and can't) do.  The MBA is a very general degree focused on giving business decision makers the background they need in order to make their business thrive.  MBA programs cover high-level topics such as accounting, finance, operations management, economics, and business strategy.  Programmers, on the other hand, often need to get well acquainted with the details of the day-to-day operations that keep a business growing.  The two areas aren't completely separate, but they don't go hand-in-hand, either.

Getting back to the original question, programmers who wish become managers at some point in their careers will find knowledge gained from getting an MBA useful.  No degree should be mandatory for any position, since most knowledge can be gained through other means, but I couldn't imagine trying to be a manager without the skills I've gained from my MBA studies.  Too many people assume that being good at a job makes one qualified to manage others doing that job, which is absolutely not true.  Managing and doing are two completely different skill sets and have completely different knowledge required.  The MBA can help fill in some gaps in management skills.

For the non-managing programmer, I could see how an MBA could help a programmer understand business requirements (which was my original intent for getting mine), since the degree is about the high-level functioning of business.  I can also see why an MBA degree is strongly desired to work in the large consulting companies, since the degree not only gives you the tools to speak with business stakeholders but also helps prepare the student for project management.  I'm not convinced that the MBA is the best use of time and money for a programmer with these career goals, though.  The fit isn't bad, but there are other alternatives out there, such as PMP certifications or industry-specific degrees.

Many people look to MBA degrees as a way to help avoid unemployment.  I can't think of a worse reason for a programmer to get this degree.  (Well, maybe that's not true.  I can think of worse reasons to get an MBA.  Most of them wouldn't be considered by someone seriously considering the degree, though.)  The competition for jobs seems to be a bit stiffer for MBA grads than for experienced programmers with knowledge of the latest "hot" technology.  In fact, programmers who wish to remain programming after getting their MBA might find job hunting tougher due to the perception of being over-qualified.  Programmers should also think very carefully about spending significant amounts of time away from technology-specific studies.  Technology is changing all of the time.  Much of it should be easy for any IT professional to pick up due to its similarity to previous technologies, but some of it is not.  While it is not impossible to keep up with technology while studying for an MBA, it is not an undertaking that can be done by everyone.

In the end, it was worth it for me to get my MBA because I'm very interested in business strategy, and my MBA helps me understand issues related to management and strategy that I might not have as a pure programmer.  Also, I'm not as interested in specific technologies as I am in finding the right solution to solve problems.  That doesn't mean that the degree is right for every programmer, but what course of study is?